Free

Being
Me
Middle Activity Pack
(11-14 years-old)
An educational programme that promotes
a world free from appearance-related anxiety.
2
Contents
Welcome ................................................................... 4
How Free Being Me works .................................. 6
Important information .......................................... 9
Body confidence energisers & songs ................ 10
Activities
• Evaluation guidance ........................................12
• Start Survey........................................................14
• Session 1...............................................................16
Resources .................................................................. 22
• Session 2 ..............................................................26
Resources .................................................................. 32
• Session 3 ..............................................................36
Resources .................................................................. 41
• Session 4 ..............................................................44
Resources .................................................................. 50
• Session 5 ..............................................................54
Resources .................................................................. 59
Celebrate, Evaluate & Share! .............................. 64
• Finish survey ......................................................66
Acknowledgements ............................................... 69

3
Welcome
Free Being Me (FBM) is an educational programme
that promotes a world free from appearance-
related anxiety. FBM first began in 2013, developed
in partnership with the World Association of Girl
Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS), the Dove Self-
Esteem Project (DSEP) and the Centre of Appearance
Research (CAR). Since then, an incredible six million
Girl Guides and Girl Scouts in 80 countries have
improved their body confidence and helped other
people do the same.

This updated, more representative and

interactive version of Free Being Me will
support four million other Guides and
Scouts to lead a movement towards a world
free from body insecurities.

We can’t wait to see what your group will do!

4
Izabel, a Girl Guide from Brazil, describes her Free Being Me experience:

“I had really bad self-esteem issues when I was a teenager, and when the Free Being Me programme
came out in Brazil I was at our Girl Guide National Assembly. During the introduction video, I could
see that I wasn’t alone in my body confidence issues and all the women and girls I admired were crying
by my side. But why? Why couldn’t they see themselves beyond their appearance? Why couldn’t I see
myself beyond my appearance? The Free Being Me programme helped improve this. I was really excited
because I know with my heart how it feels to stop doing things because you have self-esteem issues,
from not feeling confident to swim or even leading to toxic relationships because you don’t know you’re
worth better. We need to spread this body positivity around the globe, we need to empower our girls
and young women to exist in their bodies. Girls need to be confident to speak out, to be themselves and
to support each other.”

Stacie June Shelton, Head of Education and Heidi Jokinen, Chair of the
Global Advocacy, The Dove Self-Esteem Project: WAGGGS World Board:

The Dove Self-Esteem Project started in 2004 and The World Association of Girl Guides
since then has reached over 79 million young people in and Girl Scouts has been working for
150 countries. We started this journey with Girl Scouts more than eight years to bring about
USA and it later blossomed into Guiding as one of our a real, positive and lasting change in
key partners. We are very pleased to have guides and how all young people see themselves.
scouts worldwide building up body confidence within The Free Being Me curriculum aims
our ongoing partnership with WAGGGS. Together, with to empower girls to reach their full
your guiding and scouting groups, leaders, parents and potential in life through activities
partners, we can make sure young people have access that strengthen body confidence
to important evidence-based tools and body confidence and self-esteem, so that the way they
and self-esteem education. think they look never holds them
back. Young people learn to stand
Our tools cover the key topics proven to impact a up to social pressures, value their
person’s body confidence. The tools we have include bodies, challenge beauty stereotypes
games, stories, cartoons and activities like those in promoted in the media and advocate
Free Being Me. We know that low body confidence is for a healthy body image to their
not only a public health issue, but also a social justice friends and community.
and gender equality issue. We want to help young
people feel good about the way they look to reach By improving the body confidence
their full potential. This includes empowering girls of a generation, WAGGGS can make
across all parts of their life. Building up a girl’s body a meaningful impact in girls’ lives
confidence aids in building leadership skills, improves and empower them to always be
their academic attainment and physical and mental unstoppable.
health, and empowers them to use their voice to stand
up to societal pressures around appearance and the
appearance-related biases and discrimination people
face. We hope you will join us to achieve this by
building up body confidence in many more
young people around the world.

5
How Free Being Me
works
This Free Being Me activity pack is Each session lasts approximately one hour
and conveys an important Key Message for
suitable for girl-only and
young people to learn about and challenge
co-educational groups of 20-30 society’s beauty standards. Session 1 lasts
young people aged 11-14. It can slightly longer as it includes an introduction
easily be adapted for different sized and optional evaluation.
groups.
FBM should take between five and six hours
Your group should complete all five FBM to complete, plus time afterwards for your
sessions to earn the FBM badge and improve group to take action in their community.
their body confidence. It’s only by completing
these five sessions, in the order below, that The session outlines below are for use with
the impact of the programme is guaranteed. in-person delivery. For groups delivering Free
Being Me online, download adapted session
plans and resources here: https://free-being-
me.com/downloads/

Session Key Messages Activities

1 Beauty standards are

everywhere, telling us we’re
not good enough unless we
• Welcome to FBM
• Activity 1: Beauty Race
Define (and destroy) the ‘ideal
look one specific way. They’re look’ that society puts pressure on
impossible to achieve, us to achieve.
exclude people and change
constantly throughout history • Activity 2:
and cultures. They harm: Chain of Consequences
Understand the ways that beauty
• My world: hurt standards harm people through
our confidence and scenarios.
friendships, affect our
school/work life, stop us • Reflection
from doing the things we Reflect on how to challenge
love and reaching our full beauty standards as a global
potential. citizen. Give each other
compliments (not about looks!).
• The wider world: make
the world less diverse, • Home Challenge:
cost our governments Media Detectives
and health services, and Find three examples of beauty
damage the environment. standards and write down two
harmful consequences of each.
• Everyone, especially girls
and women.
6
You will find facilitator guidance in
the session plans reminding you what
it’s important to do and what to look/
listen out for from your group.

Session Key Messages Activities

2 We should challenge and

reject beauty standards in
all forms of advertising and
• Warm-up
Share the consequences of beauty
standards in different media using
other media (e.g. TV, film, the Home Challenge.
radio, newspapers, toys, songs • Activity 1: Media Madness
and books) that put pressure Identify the different ways that
on us to change how we look. the media spreads problematic
beauty standards.
• Activity 2: Media Shake-up
Challenge the media that spreads
harmful beauty standards.
• Reflection
Draw a body confident advert.
Home Challenge: Dear Friend
Write a note to a younger person
explaining why it’s not worth trying
to achieve beauty standards.

3 Sometimes family and

friends put pressure on us to
change how we look - without
• Warm-up
Share how beauty standards
harm people using their Home
even realising. Let’s challenge Challenge.
these comments and actions • Activity 1: Pressure Patrol
that are spreading beauty Stand up to beauty standards
standards! by practicing challenging family
and friends.
• Activity 2: Mirror Messages
Write a body confident message.
• Reflection
Name parts of your body you like
and what they can do.
Home Challenge: My Mirror
Stand in front of a mirror and
appreciate their body out loud.

7
 Session Key Messages Activities

4 We may make comments

comparing people’s looks to
beauty standards - without
• Warm-up
Say what we love about our bodies
using the Home Challenge.
even realising. This ‘body • Activity 1: Body Talk
talk’ actually spreads the Identify body talk and learn ways to
impossible ‘ideal’. Instead, we respond.
should celebrate what makes
us all unique and what our • Activity 2: Beating Body Talk
bodies can do! Practise challenging body talk so
we feel comfortable doing it in our
everyday lives.
• Reflection
Write or draw a day of confidence-
boosting activities.
Home Challenge - My Challenges:
Make two promises to help build your
body confidence.

5 We have the power to build a

world where everyone feels
free to be themselves!
• Warm-up
Share how the Home Challenge
promises went.
• Activity 1: See the Change
Every action, no matter how Imagine if every young person they
big or small, will improve other know understood how harmful
people’s body confidence and beauty standards are and felt body
our own. confident every day.
• Activity 2: Plan the Change
Get inspired by other people’s
A FBM Journal is also provided projects, then complete a Take
alongside the session plans. It Action Project Plan to carry out in
contains activities, inspiration their community.
and reflections that groups will
complete during and after sessions Home Challenge- Take Action: Set a
- such as when completing their deadline for one or two week’s time
Home Challenges. to gather for a celebration and badge
ceremony!

8
Important information Ke e p
Hello!

a n
t for
e y e ou ce
f ide n
y b o dy con e
m th
t ip s i n a n s .
i o n p l
sess

Free Being Me has been written closely It’s therefore important

with academics who specialise in to trust and follow the
appearance research. All the activities and session plans to maximise their impact.
resources have been carefully written For more information, see p. 13 of
based on evidence of how to improve the Facilitator Guide and look for our
young people’s body confidence Body Confidence Expert who appears
successfully. in the session plans with tips and advice.

When delivering Free Being Me:

Facilitators should … Make sure young people…

֏ Write a Brave Space ֏ Start every session by taking the

Agreement with the group at Free Being Me pledge. This verbal
the beginning and display it agreement increases the likelihood
during every session. This will of young peoples’ participation and
enable young people to share motivation.
their thoughts and challenge
֏ Have every opportunity to
their opinions safely, free from
challenge and reject society’s
judgement.
beauty standards - verbally, written
֏ Trust the materials. and by taking action. Research
Everything in the packs - from studies suggest that the more we say
the questions and activities, why beauty standards are harmful,
to timings and order - is based the more we are likely to believe it.
on evidence to improve young It’s important to avoid young people
peoples’ body confidence. It’s talking about beauty standards
therefore important to deliver positively.
them as they are written - don’t
֏ Avoid looking at, saying or
pick or change activities and do
describing examples of beauty
use the prompts provided.
standards, even during role
֏ Keep the group focussed on plays. To prevent young
the session’s Key Message. people being further exposed
Talking about body confidence to, or believing in, harmful beauty
can provoke strong reactions standards, only the facilitators
and deep conversations, but should read out these examples.
try to refocus the group.
֏ Emphasise the importance of
֏ Allow periods of silence during applying their learning outside
discussions - it can often be the meeting space by completing
vital thinking time. If waiting every session’s Home Challenge.
doesn’t prompt a response, By reinforcing what we’ve learnt in
try rephrasing the question or different environments, we’re more
dividing into pairs to re-start likely to use the knowledge beyond
the conversation. the Guiding/unit meetings.

9
 Body confidence
energisers
& songs

Body Confidence Orchestra

Ask the group to say out loud: “My body
is an instrument not an ornament”. Then,
the group moves around the room.
When you shout a number and a musical
instrument, they form groups of that
number and act out the instrument eg
guitar, drums, harp, violin, horn.

Body
Boogi
Play m
us
e
to dan ic and ask
call ou ce. Pause t everyone
ta he s
Every body part, ong and
e
part. A one wiggle .g. tummy.
sk s th
somet some peo at body
h p
does f ing that th le to name
or us is bod
e y
Repea g digests o part
t seve u
ral tim r food.
es.

10
 Songs:
Body Confidence My Way by Ava Max
Poses Girl on Fire by Alicia Keys
Play tag: three people Don’t Touch My Hair by
are ‘it’ and run to catch Solange Knowles
the others. When they Everyday People by Sly and
are caught, they hold a the Family Stone
body confident pose until
Bio by Denise
another person frees
them! Confident by Demi Lovato
Who You Are by MNEK and
Craig David
Try by Colbie Caillat
Woman by Nao and Lianne
La Havas
se it c an… Video by India Arie
my… becau group
I love of the Brown Skin Girl by Beyoncé,
ember m Blue Ivy and SAInt JHN
a circ le, each phrase,
g in tes the …”.
Standin comple ecause it can love, do
my… b y they
“I love t of their bod e it, and ask
y sh a r e a par why they lov on, e.g.
The ti
c tio n to show copy their ac g people”
an a o hu
e r yo n e else t se they can
ev cau .
m y a rms be themselves]
“I love [they h
ug

11
Evaluation Guidance
for facilitators

Use the FBM Badge Survey (see You can use the results from these surveys
in many ways. You may simply wish to
page 14-15) to better understand
understand how effective the FBM activities
the impact of Free Being Me on your were and decide to share this with your MO.
group. You might use the results to promote the
By completing the survey twice (before and benefits of body confidence to other groups!
after), you can evaluate your group’s change
in body confidence and self-esteem.

Instructions:

The FBM Badge Survey is entirely optional. It’s important to ask your
group if they consent to taking part. You should:

1. Explain to your group the purpose of the survey and how you will
use or share their results.

2. Make sure every member of your group completes the survey

twice: once before starting FBM and once after finishing all FBM
sessions, eg at the celebration. The Badge Survey is the same both
times, with some extra activity feedback questions in the Post- Start Survey
Survey.

3. Choose how to fill out the survey:

a) Online (if your group has access to smartphones): Scan the

relevant QR code below with your browser or app and follow the
steps. Leaders write down each participant’s two total scores, their
age and initials, and keep safe.
i. Start Survey (before any FBM activities)
ii. Finish Survey (after finishing all FBM activities) Finish Survey

b) Paper: Make copies in advance: one per participant for the start
of FBM, and one per participant at the end (see page 14 and 62).

12
Analysing the survey:
When your group has completed the survey twice, collate each participant’s start
and finish surveys by matching their initials and age. To analyse the survey, score the
responses of questions 1-6 as follows:

Strongly Disagree=1, Disagree=2, Neither Agree nor Disagree=3, Agree=4, and

Strongly Agree=5. Note that scoring for question 3 is reversed, eg Strongly Disagree=5 and
Strongly Agree=1.

Then, calculate the average of the response items for each of the following groups of
questions:
• 1 & 2 (measuring if young people let body confidence hold them back from
participating)
• 3 & 4 (measuring how positive young people feel about their own appearance)
• 5 & 6 (measuring young people’s ability to take action on beauty standards)

Interpreting the results:

Compare the before and after results per person and/or as a group.

• For questions 1 to 6, higher post-survey averages indicate that young people:

a) 1 & 2: Feel more that body confidence does not hold them back from
participating.
b) 3 & 4: Feel more positive about their own appearance.
c) 5 & 6: Have a higher ability to take action on beauty standards.

• For question 7, observe whether the young peoples’ actions to improve their body
confidence have changed before and after doing FBM, particularly if they have
applied the things they learned from the activity pack.

• For question 8, higher post-survey ratings indicate improved self-reported body

confidence.

Please note that these surveys only capture one day in their life and may therefore not be
representative.

13
FBM Badge
Start Survey
Join groups around the world who Taking part is optional. If you choose
to complete the survey, this means you
are sharing their understanding,
agree for your leader to use and share this
feelings and actions on the topic of information(they won’t share your name) and
body confidence! help WAGGGS understand if FBM is working.
Complete the FBM Badge Survey on your
own and then give it to your leader. Age: Initals:

Rate how much you generally 1 2 3 4 5

Strongly Disagree Neither agree Agree Strongly
agree or disagree with the
nor disagree
following statements (please disagree agree
select only one response per
statement):

1. I often speak up at home, in

class and at Guiding without
worrying about how I look.

2. I often try new things and

activities without worrying
about how I look.

3. I wish I could change my

looks to be like people I see
on the TV, in advertising or on
social media.

4. I like what I see when I look in

the mirror.

5. I feel confident standing up

to negative comments about
people’s looks.

6. I know how to help other

people improve their body
confidence.

14
 7. When you don’t feel good about your looks, what do you do to
help yourself feel better?

8. Draw or colour in this scale to show how much you agree with
this statement:
In general, I’m happy about the way I look.

0 10

Not happy at all Moderately happy Very happy

15
Session 1
15 mins
Time: 1 hour

Preparation
• Make a copy of the Journal for
Key Message every participant.
• Optional welcome: Prepare to
Beauty standards are everywhere, deliver the pre-evaluation activity.
telling us we’re not good enough • Activity 1: Make a copy of each
unless we look one specific way. body outline on two separate
They’re impossible to achieve, flipcharts. Display them on one
exclude people and change side of the space.
constantly throughout history and
cultures. They harm: • Optional: Bring in examples of
subtle beauty standards found
• My world: hurt our confidence in your country to help groups
and friendships, affect our understand how pervasive they
school/work life, stop us from are.
doing the things we love and • Activity 2: Copy and cut out
reaching our full potential. each Harmful Scenario.
• The wider world: make the
world less diverse, cost our
governments and health services,
and damage the environment.
• Everyone, especially girls Resources provided:
and women.
• Journals
• FBM video

This • Body outline

session is • Harmful Scenarios and guidance
key to Free Being
Me because it sets the
scene for all the following
Resources needed:
sessions. It is very important
• Flipchart
for the group to see how
ridiculous and impossible • Sticky tack
beauty standards are,
• Two different coloured
and say how they
harm us. marker pens
• Sticky note per person
• Timer

16
 Welcome
25mins
It’s important that:

Your group discovers things

1. Sitting in a circle, welcome everyone for themselves during FBM,
to the first of five sessions of Free so avoid adding any more
Being Me (FBM) where they’ll find information about body
out about feeling good in their bodies, confidence at this stage.
and help others too.
Every person takes the FBM
2. Optional: Conduct the pre-evaluation pledge as the start of their
activity. journey to helping themselves
and others build confidence.
3. Ask: What does body confidence
mean?
Accepting and feeling happy with how I
look and what my body can do for me. If
possible, show the FBM video.
4. Work together to write a Brave
Space Agreement on flipchart. This
is a set of guidelines that will be
displayed throughout the FBM to
ensure everyone feels safe, confident
speaking up and comfortable sharing
their ideas.
5. The group takes the FBM pledge
by saying “Yes!”, nodding or waving
S p a ce
when you ask:
B r a v e mp l e
Are you ready to take part in FBM, ex a
speak up and help us to protect the
Brave Space? a n d speak up
e part uestion
s
We tak a s k q
nd
e c u rious a e
We’r
l u d e e veryon
We inc r
t o ea ch othe
n
We liste a t others
’t lau g h
We don ea ch othe
r
ou r a g e
We enc lt if we’re
an a d u ed
We tell able or worri
o rt
uncomf

17
Session 1

It’s important that:

1. Beauty Race If you’re in a co-ed setting, split

15mins into gendered groups for this
activity. After, make time for both
groups to hear each other’s ideas
and opinions.
The list is:
1. Objective: To define (and destroy) the
‘ideal look’ that society puts pressure • Very long
on us to achieve. • Specific – if someone says,
2. Split into two teams in a line opposite “Perfect teeth”, ask: What does
‘perfect’ look like? Eg the gum
the body outlines. Give each team a
to teeth ratio?
different coloured pen.
3. Explain the race: • Only related to appearance, eg
don’t accept examples about
a) Teams compete to fill the body personality.
outlines with lots of specific
You emphasise how ridiculous
examples of what society tells us is the list is – point out any
the ‘ideal’ look, eg flowing hair, no contradictions, eg big bum and flat
spots/scars/wrinkles. stomach and large breasts; long legs
b) In a relay, one person from each and small feet.
team takes it in turns to run to the
body outlines, labels a part of the
‘ideal’ look on either poster, then
races back to their team.
c) The winning team will have the
highest number of examples 6. Ask: Is it really possible to
written in their colour – points look like this?
will be taken away for repeated
examples! 7. Scribble across both body
outlines with the words
4. After five minutes, add up each “Beauty Standards”.
team’s points (one per label, minus any Emphasise that these looks
repetition). are impossible for anyone
5. Sitting in a circle around the body to achieve in reality.
outlines, the facilitator reads out all of
the standards for boys and then girls.

18
 Look for
8. Briefly discuss (for five minutes):
Surprise at the long list of beauty
a) In another country or 100 years standards, and that people could be
ago, would this ‘ideal look’ be the under so much pressure to look like
same? an impossible ‘ideal’.
Beauty standards are always
changing – think about the ‘ideal
look’ at different times in our
country’s history. Also, beauty
standards contradict each other from
country to country, eg some people
feel pressure to lighten their skin
while others try to darken theirs. It’s important that:
b) Where do we see and hear these
beauty standards? You challenge anyone who says…
On TV, radio, social media, adverts,
“[Celebrities, influencers, models] do look
songs, friends and family, diet
‘perfect’ though!”
industry, fashion world, beauty
industry etc. • By asking: Does anyone really have
c) If the girls’ list is longer than the all of the things on the list?
boys’, ask the group why they • Then explaining: All the pictures
think this is. we see have been heavily edited,
Society puts more pressure on girls therefore we’re comparing
than boys to achieve impossible ourselves to images that aren’t real.
beauty standards. Often, girls are
mostly valued for how they look.
9. If time remains, use the group’s
energy to destroy all the beauty
standards on flipchart!

19
Session 1
5. Come together.
Ask: Given all the harmful,
negative consequences,
does it make sense to
2. Chain of try to look like beauty
Consequences standards? No!
6. Invite the group to imagine
25mins
they’re standing in front of
the CEO of the company
selling the skin-lightening
cream Duma uses.
1. Objective: To understand the ways
that beauty standards harm people. Ask: What would you say
to stop them spreading
2. Split into five teams. Each team sits
beauty standards?
in a circle with a different Harmful
Scenario.
3. Explain the game:
a) The aim is to create a verbal
chain of consequences showing
how different characters are Listen for
harmed by the pressure from
beauty standards.
“Your advertising makes people
b) Teams read their scenario and feel excluded and not good
choose their first player. Set the enough. Stop encouraging people
timer for two minutes to compare themselves to an
impossible ‘ideal’!”
c) The first player says one harmful
consequence their character
could experience, eg “Duma
spends time worrying about her
looks rather than having fun.” It’s important that:
d) The player to their left then adds
a consequence by saying, “Also…” The group tries this activity on
their own – even if they struggle.
Players take it in turns to list
If necessary, prompt by asking:
as many as possible in the time
• What might people miss out
remaining. on?
e) After two minutes, teams swap • How might people feel?
scenarios. • What relationships might be
affected and how?
4. Repeat the steps until each team has • What are the different
discussed three different scenarios. consequences for the
character personally,
their family and friends,
community and the country –
and world – they live in?

20
 Reflection
15mins It’s important that:
• You walk around to
make sure everyone has
1. Sitting together in a circle, introduce something written on their
the FBM Journals as a place to write or sticky note during the
draw their thoughts and feelings at the activity.
end of every session and at home. • You emphasise that beauty
standards are unacceptable
2. In their Journals, everyone draws or and that Free Being Me is
writes: about working together to
a) How did the session make you feel? do something about it!

b) We’ve seen how beauty standards

especially stop girls and young
women from reaching their full
potential. As a global citizen, what
could you do to challenge beauty
standards? Home Challenge:
3. To finish, everyone walks around the Media Detectives
room with a sticky note on their back.
1. Find three examples
The group writes compliments not
of beauty standards
related to their looks on each other’s
in different forms of
notes. media, eg TV, roadside
4. At the end, everyone looks at their advertising, transport,
sticky note and sticks it in their Journal. online videos, social
media, film.

2. For each beauty

standard, write
down two harmful
consequences it could
have on people.

21
Resources

Body
Outline

22
 Jessie is a non-binary person from
the United States. Before they
post photos on social media, they
Harmful spend hours editing the pictures

Scenarios
to make sure every detail looks
‘perfect’.

What are the harmful consequences

for Jessie? For example their health,
time etc.

A group of friends from Portugal

Salma is a girl from Egypt. She
compare every single detail of
wishes she weighed less and
their bodies. After one of their
looked like her favourite singer.
mothers made a comment about
She’s often late for school after
them looking ‘hairy’, the group is
spending hours trying on different
now trying out all the different
clothes to make her look smaller.
hair removal.
What are the harmful consequences
What are the harmful consequences
for Salma? For example her school life,
for the group? For example their
personal life etc.
friendship, spending money etc.

Duma is a girl from Zimbabwe.

She dreams of being the president
Amir is a boy from Nepal. He
one day, but believes she won’t
spends hours doing sports after
be successful because of her dark
school because his brother teases
skin. She uses dangerous creams
him for looking so ‘weak’.
to try and make her skin look
lighter.
What are the harmful consequences
for Amir? For example his health,
What are the harmful consequences
family etc.
for Duma? For example her personal
life, her country’s future etc.

23
Scenario Only to be used if groups

guidance
are really struggling.

Some examples of harmful consequences for the people themselves (individuals),

their school or work life and the wider world:

Individual
• Worried, anxious, ashamed, unhappy • Spends money regularly on products or
techniques
• Low confidence
• Spends time comparing themselves,
• Unable to reach full potential
monitoring body, researching procedures
• Feels less valued and respected by the world and/or posing for/editing photos rather than
around them enjoying life
• Feels under pressure to change appearance • Damages health (eg skin or nutrition) by
using products or techniques that can cause
• Uncomfortable around other people
infections, or over-exercising
• Avoids some activities and misses out on fun
because of worrying

School/work life
• Distracted and becomes distant from friends • Difficulty concentrating in school/work could
and family lead to lower performance
• Family and friends worry about them • Compares themselves to each other causing
unhappiness, jealousy and arguments
• Struggles to build new relationships (friends,
colleagues, partners)
• Influences others (peers or family) to follow
and therefore spread beauty standards

24
 Wider world
• Spreads the idea that women should change • Society misses out on their skills (if they don’t
their appearance to please men, and men succeed at school or work)
should be visibly “strong”
• Lack of diverse leaders that don’t represent
• If they need medical care, it costs the health people
service
• Loss of diversity in society if everyone looks
• Environmental impact, eg oil in drains and the same
waterways or products’ plastic packaging
• Women less involved in decision making
• Further spreads prejudices, eg racism (that
‘Western’ style hair or light skin is superior),
fatphobia (that thin is superior) and ageism
(that being young is superior)

25
Session 2
Time: 1 hour
Preparation
• Remind everyone to bring in their

Key Message Journal with their completed

Home Challenge.

We should challenge and reject • Warm-up: Prepare a short

beauty standards in all forms of description of a walk through your
advertising and other media (eg TV, community, naming at least five
film, radio, newspapers, toys, songs places your group is most likely to
and books) that put pressure on us to see or hear beauty standards.
change how we look. For example: While walking to
Guides, I pass my neighbour
playing the radio at top volume.
As I turn the corner, I look at my
You can help young phone. On the main street there’s
people’s body confidence a huge roadside advert. People
journey by tidying away any are waiting at the bus stop, many
visual examples of beauty standards, checking their social media, and
eg Media Madness cards as soon as someone drives past playing music
you’ve finished using them. Research out their window.
studies have shown that women’s body • Activity 1: Copy enough Media
confidence is negatively impacted Madness cards for one per pair.
by exposure to idealised images of
models, celebrities and people • Optional: Add further examples
on TV, social media or in of beauty standards from your
magazines. country’s media.

Resources provided:
• Media Madness cards and
guidance

Resources needed:
• Journals
• Pens and paper
• Timer

26
 Warm-up
10mins

It’s important that:

1. Ask the group to take the FBM
pledge. Explain that by saying this
Every person takes the FBM
out loud, they are helping themselves pledge as a commitment to
and others build their confidence. helping themselves and others
Are you ready to take part in FBM, build confidence.
speak up to challenge beauty
You keep up the pace – this
standards and help us to protect should be done quickly and with
the Brave Space? lots of energy!
2. Objective: To recap the different Everyone shares different
places beauty standards come from examples of beauty standards
and the harm they cause. and their consequences.
3. Stand in a circle with their Journals,
ready to share their Home Challenge
(consequences of beauty standards
found in different media).
4. Explain the game:
a) Read the prepared walk through
your community, pausing after Listen for
each example of a place they could
see or hear beauty standards.
b) People jump into the circle A wide range of places we
when they hear a place where see/hear beauty standards.
one of their beauty standards Different examples of harm
can be found. They then quickly caused by beauty standards.
take turns announcing one of
the harmful consequences they Surprise at how many more
beauty standards are aimed
wrote down, and jump back out,
at women compared to men.
Eg [Jumps in at ‘I look at my phone’] Recognition that this puts
And shouts, “I see an advert that women under more pressure,
makes people feel their bodies aren’t and further spreads gender
good enough as they are.” inequality.
5. At the end, allow anyone who hasn’t
yet shared to jump in and say one of
the harmful consequences.

27
Session 2

c) Makes false promises

1. Media Madness (that we can achieve
15mins a more successful or
happier lifestyle), when
they’re actually just
trying to make money.

1. Objective: To identify the different

ways that the media spreads
problematic beauty standards.
2. Split into pairs, each with a Media
Madness card. Groups spend a few
minutes identifying the problems with
the image(s).
3. Explain their task:
It’s important that:
a) Pairs create a 30-second pitch that
convinces others why their Media
Madness card is so problematic.
b) Pairs have five minutes to plan a Every person has the opportunity
dramatic pitch that they will present to challenge beauty standards in the
activity.
to another pair.
c) With the timer set, two pairs You challenge anyone who says…
present to each other for 30
seconds each. “But the edited photo looks better.”

4. Come together and ask the group • By asking: “Is it realistic for most
to summarise the problems with people to look like this edited
beauty standards by showing their image?”
Media Madness card and finishing the
• Then explaining: it’s
sentence: “Trying to achieve beauty understandable because we’re
standards you see in the media is constantly shown images like
harmful and not worth it because …” this, but we need to challenge
a) The images aren’t real, they have been these harmful and impossible
heavily edited – which takes hours of standards!
work!
b) Images don’t represent most people
and lack diversity.

28
2. Media Shake-up
25mins 4. After 15 minutes, stop the
groups. Standing in front
of each group, you (the
facilitator) mime using their
chosen media, eg scrolling
1. Objective: To challenge the media on phone, watching TV
that spreads harmful beauty etc. The group responds by
standards. interrupting you to shout
their powerful messages!
2. Split into small groups with pens
and paper. Briefly discuss:
How do you feel knowing beauty
standards are being spread in so
many harmful ways?
3. Explain their challenge
a) Groups become activists that
interrupt the media! It’s important that:
b) Each group chooses one You move around the room
beauty standard spread by to support groups and keep
the media (from the Home conversations on track.
Challenge or character cards),
eg social media advert to
straighten afro hair.
c) Everyone imagines they’re
with their friends or family
when they see their chosen Listen for
beauty standard. Groups have
15 minutes to write a short
“STOP – that picture isn’t real!
message that educates them
They edit photos to make us
about the tricks the media uses feel we need to change the way
and the harm beauty standards we look so we waste money
cause. on their products. When we
d) Their messages should speak see adverts we need to think,
“What are they really trying to
directly to their friends or
tell us?” and remember that we
family, be 50 words max, and
ARE good enough!”
help people to spot beauty
standards in future!

29
Session 2

It’s important that:

Reflection
15mins
The group understands that despite
how unacceptable beauty standards
are, they can stand up to them by
working together!
1. Sat together with their Journals,
ask the group to reflect quietly
on the most important thing they
learned, and write it down.
2. Then, everyone draws a body
confident advert that includes
all shapes and sizes, and includes
positive messages.

Home Challenge:
Dear Friend
Write or record a note to a younger
person you know. Explain why it’s not
worth trying to achieve beauty standards
and why it’s harmful if they do.
Remember to use what you’ve discussed
in the sessions.

30
31
Resources

Media Madness cards

Before After

32
33
34
Guidance:

• Selfies use filters which change the shape of the face and its features, as well
as the colour of the skin
• Photos have had numerous edits made, including:
a) Symmetrical face - features edited to make eyes exactly the same size, and
mouth and nose exactly symmetrical
b) Smoother skin with no marks, shadows, wrinkles, spots, scars or pores
c) White skin is more tanned; darker skin is lighter
d) Women shown with more make-up - pinker cheeks, redder lips, darker
eyeliner
e) Eyes made larger with neater and fuller eyebrows
f) Whiter teeth and fuller lips (often smiling without showing teeth)
g) Nose, cheeks and chin are made narrower, with more pronounced
cheekbones
h) Hair is smoother, more flowing and thicker
i) Body shape is very slim and toned without any sign of fat
j) Clothes are smoothed out and change colour
k) No body hair (or very little on men)
• Celebrities are used to sell a product - implying that we can achieve this status
(be happier or more successful) by buying their product
• Most of the models used are white, or very light skinned, with very literal
diversity of appearance
• Persuasive language is used to make us think we need to change how we
look, and that their product is the answer (often without a reliable source
of information).

35
Session 3
Time: 1 hour

Preparation
Key Message • Remind everyone to bring in their
Journal with their completed
Sometimes family and friends put Home Challenge.
pressure on us to change how we • Activity 1: Organise enough
look – without even realising. Let’s tables and chairs per group
challenge these comments and of three young people (or use
actions that are spreading beauty cushions/mats). Then:
standards!
• Label each set of three chairs
with the letters P, C and A (see
diagram).
It’s important that the • Copy the People Under
People Under Pressure Pressure cards and place one
cards are kept face down until face down in the middle of
the groups begin discussions (then each set of chairs.
turn them back over before they
move), and that people don’t read
out what’s on the cards. This is to
reduce the time young people
are exposed to these harmful
messages.

Resources provided:
• People Under Pressure cards P A
and guidance

Resources needed:
• Journals
• Sticky notes and pens

36
 Warm-up
10mins

It’s important that:

1. Ask the group to take the FBM
pledge. Explain that by saying
Every person takes the FBM
this out loud, they are helping pledge as a commitment to
themselves and others build their helping themselves and others
confidence. build confidence.
Are you ready to take part in FBM,
speak up to challenge beauty
standards and help us to protect
the Brave Space?
2. Objective: To recap how beauty
standards harm people by sharing
their Home Challenge.
3. Split into two equal circles:
As and Bs. Then As stand in a circle
inside Bs (to form concentric circles
– see diagram).
4. Ask all of the As to move slowly
clockwise and the Bs to move
anticlockwise. When you shout
stop, each person shares their note
with the person standing in front of
them. Repeat once more.

37
Session 3
d) After five minutes,
groups move clockwise
around the room and
swap chair labels (so
1. Pressure Patrol they answer a different
question).
30mins e) Repeat until groups have
discussed at least four
scenarios.
4. At the end, ask each patrol
1. Quickly ask everyone to recap the to join another patrol and
different places they saw and heard form a Super Squad. Their
beauty standards in Session 2, eg new squad shares the best
television/film, social media, radio, advice they gave to one of
adverts, books and songs. Explain the characters.
that this session focuses on how to
respond to comments and actions
from people we know.
2. Objective: To stand up to beauty
standards by practising challenging
family and friends. It’s important that:
3. Explain their task:
You move around the room to support
a) Split into patrols of three, and sit in
groups and keep conversations
the prepared labelled chairs.
on track.
b) Turn over the People Under
Pressure card and read to Congratulate the group on all the
themselves. great advice! Encourage them to use
these ideas in their real lives.
c) Groups have five minutes to
decide how to help the person, You challenge anyone who says …
by each answering the question
linked to their chair label: “But thin does look better than fat –
and it’s healthier!”
P = What’s the problem? • By asking: What are the
C = What are the harmful consequences of trying to achieve
consequences? the thin beauty standard?
A = [Action] What would you do if
• Then explaining: our weight does
you were them? not define our beauty or our
See Pressure guidance. importance as a person. The world
tells us that putting on weight is
negative but in fact, some people
are healthy and fat, some people
are unhealthy and thin.

38
2. Mirror Messages
10mins

1. Objective: To write a body

confident message.
2. Sit together, each with a sticky
note and pen. Ask everyone to It’s important that:
choose one of the characters:
Duma, Amir, Salma, Jessie or the The group avoids ‘surface-level’
friends. messages, eg everyone’s perfect, by
thinking more deeply about what could
3. Ask everyone to write a make their character feel differently.
meaningful message to help
their character feel more body
confident. It needs to be short
to fit on a sticky note that they’ll
stick on their mirror, eg:

You’re worth so much more than

how you look.

Thank your body for helping you get

up this morning.

You don’t need to change a single

thing about you!

4. Stand in a circle, facing outwards.

On the count of three, everyone
turns around, strikes a powerful
pose and shouts their meaningful
message!

39
Session 3

Reflection
10mins
It’s important that:

You encourage people to be

brave when naming body
1. Sitting down with their Journals, ask parts they like. We tend to
everyone to reflect quietly on: choose ‘safer’ body parts
(such as eyes or hands) but
a) Three parts of their body they like
it’s best to try and choose
because of what they can do body parts that society makes
b) Three things they can say to their it difficult for us to love, eg
body when they think negatively stomach, legs, skin.
about how they look.
You emphasise that because
c) Three parts of their body they like society doesn’t encourage
the look of. us to be positive about our
looks, this exercise can really
improve our confidence.

Home Challenge: It’s important that:

My Mirror
You encourage your group to
find the time and (quiet) space
Stand in front of a full mirror in a comfortable
to do this activity – it’s one of
place. Look at yourself in the mirror and say out the most impactful ways to
loud… improve body confidence!

• Three parts of your body you like the look of

because of what they can do.
• Three parts of your body you like the look of.

40
 Resources

People Under Duma and her family

are eating together. Her
Pressure Grandma offers everyone
more rice except for Duma
cards saying, “You want to stay
thin dear”.

The group of friends are at

Amir’s father comes to a birthday party. Some of
watch him play cricket. their mothers are helping
At the end, his father out, and the girls overhear
comments on how tall one of the mothers say:
the other players are “I couldn’t possibly let
compared to him. anyone see my leg hair –
it’s so ugly!”

At school, Salma is having

First thing in the morning,
lunch with her friends.
Jessie is scrolling through
One of them isn’t eating
their five social media
anything today because
apps. Their friends have all
she’s dieting, the other
shared the same influencer
is talking about how she
giving tips on how to get
can’t wear shorts or skirts
whiter teeth.
because she hates her legs.

41
Pressure
guidance Only to be used if groups are
really struggling.

Duma
Problem = her Grandma is hinting that she should If I were her, I would smile at her Grandma and
eat less (and needs to lose weight). This spreads ask someone else to pass her the rice. I would
the beauty standard that thin is more beautiful – then find a time to explain (in private) that she
and that’s not true. isn’t worried about her shape – she’s trying to love
her body as it is, without changing it. She’s worth
Consequences = she feels bad about herself so much more than the way she looks!
and that she isn’t good enough as she is – that
she should change. It could lead to her having
problems with food, when it’s really important
to eat enough balanced meals, especially for
teenagers who are growing really fast.

Amir
Problem = Amir’s father hints that Amir isn’t If I were him, I would say, “I’m proud of the fact
good enough because he’s shorter than others. that I look like my family. How tall I am doesn’t
This spreads the beauty standard that being tall make me a better or worse person. I’m here to
is more attractive – and that’s not true. play the sport I love! What did you think of how
we played today?”
Consequences = Amir spends time worrying
about his height and feels bad about himself.

Friends
Problem = their mothers are repeating the If I were them, I would say to the other girls who
beauty standard that women shouldn’t have leg hear too: “Let’s not worry about our looks – it’s
hair. so boring and makes us feel so sad. Let’s focus
instead on having fun at the party!”
Consequences = the friends feel under even
more pressure to change how they look and
that they aren’t beautiful the way they are. They
also spend more time and money worrying,
researching and paying for regular hair removal!

42
Jessie
Problem = social media Influencers are spreading If I were them, I would take a break from social
the beauty standard that teeth have to be media. I would think carefully about who I follow,
straight, white and evenly sized – which isn’t how I feel after looking at their posts and then
realistic for anyone! remove some people (and maybe add some more
positive ones). I would smile in my next photo to
Consequences = Jessie spends more time remind myself of the fun I had rather than how I
watching videos and reading comments about look!
how to change their teeth, and maybe even
spends money on techniques that could be
dangerous. Jessie feels their teeth aren’t good
enough the way they are and they’re less likely to
smile so they’re hidden.

Salma
Problem = Salma’s friends are restricting their If I were Salma, I’d encourage her friends to eat
eating and making negative comments about their because their bodies need energy and nutrients
bodies. to be happy and healthy. I’d also encourage her
friend to wear the clothes she’s scared of wearing
Consequences = Both friends are spending time and agree to do it with her – everyone could wear
and energy worrying rather than enjoying lunch shorts/skirts together in support!
which gives them the nutrition their bodies need,
and time with friends. The dieting friend might
damage her health and encourage others to
follow her. The friend who won’t wear shorts is
missing out on wearing things she loves.

43
Session 4
Time: 1 hour

Preparation
Key Message • Remind everyone to bring in their
Journal with their completed Home
Challenge.
We may make comments comparing
people’s looks to beauty standards • Activity 1: Practise one of the role
– without even realising. This ‘body plays with another facilitator (it’s very
talk’ actually spreads the impossible important that you do the role play,
‘ideal’. Instead, we should celebrate not the young people). Alternatively,
what makes us all unique and what set up the girls’ body talk video and/or
our bodies can do! boys’ video.
• Activity 2: Copy and cut out the
Body Talk comments, and stick them
around the meeting place. Ideally,
prepare to play some music to inspire
It’s important that body confidence during this activity
young people don’t use (see page 10).
body talk themselves, even • Optional: prepare to display the Body
during an activity or role play. Talk definition and Top Tips.
Only the Facilitators should say
these types of comments. This
is to prevent young people
from reinforcing beauty
standards further.

Resources provided:
• Role plays (alternatively, girls’ body talk
and/or boys’ video)
• Body Talk comments and guidance.

Resources needed:
• Journals
• Pens
• Timer
• If possible, a device and speakers to
show videos and play songs.

44
 Warm-up
10mins
It’s important that:

Every person takes the FBM

pledge as a commitment to helping
1. Ask the group to take the FBM themselves and others build
pledge. Explain that by saying this confidence.
out loud, they are helping themselves You point out that we are often made
and others build their confidence. to feel like the mirror is our enemy,
Are you ready to take part in FBM, but this activity helps them fight this!
speak up to challenge beauty If someone found the Home
standards and help us to protect Challenge hard, you could:
the Brave Space?
• Ask: “Why is it sometimes hard
2. Objective: To say what we love to say good things about how we
about our bodies from the Home look?”
Challenge. • Explain that it’s important to
3. Split into pairs facing each other. practise talking positively about our
One person makes shapes with their looks so we fight the message from
body and their partner copies, as if beauty standards that we’re not
they’re looking into a mirror. good enough. It’s not arrogant or
vain to be body confident!
4. After a few minutes, ask pairs to
share one thing from their Home Everyone has the opportunity to
Challenge that they like about their say out loud what they love about
body. their bodies. When we say and think
positive things about ourselves, it
5. Pairs then swap roles in the ‘mirror’ helps us – and those around us – feel
and repeat.
6. Ask: How did it feel to think
positively about your looks?

45
Session 4

1. Body Talk
15mins

1. Objective: To identify body talk and

learn ways to respond.
It’s important that:
2. Define body talk for the group:
When we make comments that You emphasise that compliments
compare ourselves or others to can make us feel good when they
beauty standards, this is called don’t mention beauty standards
body talk. Each time we use body (when they aren’t related to
talk, it gives beauty standards appearance).
power, and makes people feel they
You challenge anyone who says…
need to ‘live up’ to these impossible
standards. In our everyday “But it’s nice to compliment how
conversations, we might think people look!”
we’re complimenting someone,
but actually we’re comparing them • By asking: “Is there another
to beauty standards, eg “You look meaning behind the
great – have you lost weight?”. compliment?”
3. Act out one body talk role play, • Then explaining: if someone
speaking slowly. Ask the group to says, “Your hair looks good – it
shout, “Body talk!” each time they makes your face look thin”, the
hear an example. message behind the compliment
is that that thin is better.
4. Read out the Body Talk comments,
one by one. Ask the group to jump/
put up their hand if they have heard
this before.

46
5. Briefly discuss:
Why is body talk a problem?
How does body talk make people feel?
6. Emphasise that we shouldn’t take part
in body talk and can challenge it to stop
beauty standards spreading. Share these Listen for
Top Tips:
“It spreads beauty standards
by continuing to talk about how
• Highlight the “body talk” and say we look and comparing us to an
that you won’t take part in it. ‘ideal’.
Eg “What you just said is actually
body talk and this kind of conversation It makes people feel judged,
spreads unfair beauty standards. It’s not good enough and need to
boring and I’m not getting involved.” change how they look.

• Explain why the body talk comment It makes us think that our looks
is unhelpful and how it spreads the are the most important thing
‘ideal’ image. about us – we’re so much more
Eg “Comparing ourselves to beauty than that!”
standards makes us feel bad.”
• Change the focus from talking
about people’s looks to celebrating
what their bodies can do and all the Ignoring
things that make them who they body talk
are. completely doesn’t
Eg “Remember how much [that body challenge beauty
part] helps you every day. You’re so standards and can
much more than how you look – you’re make people feel
funny, kind and that’s why we’re friends.” worse.

47
Session 4

2. Beating Body Talk

20mins

It’s important that:

1. Objective: To practise challenging
body talk so we feel comfortable
doing it in our everyday lives.
You monitor groups to ensure
2. Point out all the Body Talk they are responding using the
comments around the space. Split Top Tips (displayed) and that
into small groups, each standing at everyone says something out
a different comment. loud that challenges body talk.

3. Explain their task: You encourage groups to give

a) Move clockwise (right) around positive and constructive
the space, spending one minute feedback, eg complimenting
at each comment. positives before adding any
suggestions for improvement.
b) Decide what you would say
to the person to challenge
the body talk in one or two
sentences.
c) Use the Top Tips to help you.
d) Optional: play music after each
minute so groups know when to
move.
4. After 10 minutes, come together.
Ask each group to share the last
response they decided on. Invite Listen for
other groups to give feedback on
how well they used one or more of “More confident.”
the three top tips.
“Less pressure to change how
5. How would we feel if we stopped
we look.”
using body talk?

48
 Reflection
10mins
It’s important that:
You emphasise that a great
way to boost body confidence
is by trying new things that
1. Gather together with the Journals. challenge what we believe.
2. Introduce that Salma spends at
least 20 minutes per day worrying
about her looks – this adds up to
10 days worrying per year!
3. Their task is to write or draw a day
of confidence-boosting activities
for her to do instead of worrying.
For example, hold a photoshoot with
friends posing naturally (with no
filters!), wear her favourite clothes,
think about kind things her friends
have said about her (not about her
looks), use her body in a fun way (eg
dancing, swimming, making art).
4. After 10 minutes, anyone who
wishes to can share their activity
ideas.

Home Challenge:
My Challenges
Choose two things from the
My Challenges list in your Journal that
you could do. Make a promise to do both
in the next week.

49
Resources

Role play options

Setting 1: Girls’ beauty standards:

Two girls meet outside school.

One smiles and says: “Your hair looks good!”

The other replies, “No it doesn’t, it makes my face look round.” [BODY TALK!]

The first one responds, “Oh you’re not serious? It makes your face look thinner and your
cheekbones really stand out.” [BODY TALK!]

Note: The group may think this is a compliment but it actually spreads the beauty standard
‘ideal’ of a thin person with defined cheekbones.

Setting 1: Boys’ beauty standards:

Two boys meet in the sports changing rooms.

One says, “You’re as light as a feather! Be careful out there today – it’s windy and you
might get blown away.” [BODY TALK!]

The other responds, “Well, at least I’m not fat.” [BODY TALK!]

The first replies, “This? This is called a six-pack.” [BODY TALK!]

Note: These are all comparisons to male beauty standards of being tall, broad but toned
(not fat), strong and muscly.

50
Body Talk comments

Duma Duma
“I really don’t want my skin Message “She’s so beautiful.
to get darker when we’re I wish my skin was as
out today, so let’s go to the light as hers.”
mall instead of going outside.

Friends Group chat Friends

“Did you see that she “Has she even brushed
shaved her arms? It’s now her hair? It’s so messy!”
all short and spiky – so gross!”

Jessie Voice note To Jessie

“You have so many spots “Your skin looked
at the moment! Maybe so smooth in that photo
you should buy some face soap?” from our beach trip last
week– and it got so many likes!”

Salma To Salma
“I can’t buy this dress, it makes “You look so good –
me feel too fat.” have you lost weight?”

Amir To Amir Social media

“I’m so skinny compared
“You’d look even more
to my friends – I bet they’re
handsome with a beard!”
embarrassed to be seen with me.”

51
Body Talk Guidance
To Duma’s friend:
“I’m sad that you’re worrying about
your skin when we should be focused
on spending the day laughing together!”

To Duma:
“You look different to her and that’s OK.
Comparing yourself to her is just making
you feel bad.”

To Amir’s friend:
“Hey – this is body talk and we
have no right to comment on
others’ bodies no matter what
we’re saying.”

To Amir:
“You’re wasting precious time
comparing how you look to
other people, instead of just
enjoying yourself.”

To Jessie’s friend:
“Likes don’t matter. What does
matter is how much fun we
had at the beach that day!”

52
 To Jessie’s family:
“Spots are a totally normal part of growing
up - drawing attention to them makes
people feel like spots aren’t okay.”

To the friends:
Don’t you think it’s sad that she
felt the pressure to shave her
arms?”

To the boy:
“Why is that any of your business? Everyone’s
hair is different and that’s good because
otherwise the world would be boring!”

To Salma:
“Fat isn’t a feeling! If we say we feel
fat, it is often that we actually feel
uncomfortable. Also, there’s nothing
wrong with being fat, it’s more important
how you feel in the dress and whether
you can dance in it.”

To Salma’s family:
“Do you realise you’re saying that
you can only be beautiful if you’re
thin? All bodies are good bodies –
whatever size they are.”

53
Session 5
Time: 1 hour

Preparation
Key Message • Remind everyone to bring in their
Journal with their completed Home
Challenge.
We have the power to build a world
where everyone feels free to be • Warm-up: Select a body confidence
themselves! Every action, no matter song to play (see page 10).
how big or small, will improve other • Activity 1: Write Session 1, Session 2,
people’s body confidence and our Session 3, Session 4 at the top of four
own. flipcharts. Stick up around the space.
• Activity 2: Copy and cut out the
Inspirational Action cards, then hide
around the space. Ensure everyone
has a copy of the Take Action Project
Plan in their Journals.

Resources provided:
• Inspirational Action cards
• Take Action Project Plan example

Resources needed:
• Flipchart and pens
• Sticky tack
• A device and speakers to play
music.

54
 Warm-up
10mins
It’s important that:

Every person takes the FBM

1. Ask the group to take the FBM pledge as a commitment to
pledge. Explain that by saying helping themselves and others
this out loud, they are helping build confidence.
themselves and others build their If needed, support the group
confidence. during the Home Challenge
sharing by …
Are you ready to take part in FBM,
speak up to challenge beauty
• Asking: How did it make
standards and help us to protect you think or act differently?
the Brave Space? How did others react to you
2. Objective: To share how we felt completing the challenge?
completing the Home Challenge. • Helping anyone who had
3. Play your chosen body confidence a difficult experience by
emphasising how brave
song. Encourage everyone to dance
they were for trying and
around the room. helping them to think of
4. When you pause the music, different actions they could
everyone finds a partner and shares do instead, eg leading by
one thing that they did for their example and not talking
Home Challenge and how they felt about peoples’ looks.
doing it. Repeat twice.
5. Explain that in this session they will
plan a Take Action Project that
they will then carry out in their
community. Their project should:
a) Last at least one hour.
b) Target people their own age.
c) Promote the Free Being Me
messages.

55
Session 5

1. See the Change

15mins

1. Objective: To imagine how Listen for

different the world would look if
“Everyone would have the
we all felt body confident.
confidence to reach their full
2. To begin, recap the FBM sessions. potential. The community
Standing by the Session 1 flipchart, would have more diverse
spend one minute writing what leaders.”
they’ve learned and how they
“People would spend less time
challenged beauty standards,
worrying about their looks and
before moving to the next flipchart.
more time having fun.”
3. Come together in two concentric
circles. Ask everyone to imagine if “The community would be less
every young person they know, or environmentally harmed by
even if the world, understood how plastic packaging.”
impossible beauty standards are to
achieve, and felt body confident
every day! With the partner in
front of them, discuss.
a) What would it mean to each
person if they had more body
confidence?
b) What would our community
look and feel like if everyone
had more body confidence?
See Pressure guidance.

56
 b) One action for your chosen
people.
2. Plan the Change Groups can take action
individually or in groups.
20mins
6. Encourage them to think
carefully about the FBM
message they want to tell their
1. Objective: To use all their confidence people. Prompt them to think
rejecting beauty standards to help about the issue they’re most
other people do the same! affected by.

2. Split into small groups. Discuss for

three minutes:
a) Which people (my own age) It’s important that:
would I most like to help?
b) How are my chosen people most You challenge anyone who says …
affected by beauty standards?
“The world is so full of beauty standards,
c) How could you help your chosen we can’t possibly make a difference!”
people to challenge these
• By asking: What bothers you most
problems and stop trying to
about beauty standards?
achieve them? • Then explaining: what could you
3. Ask groups to share their challenge do to tell people about them?
ideas. Start an action list on flipchart. Remember that every action – no
matter how big or small – helps us
4. Give everyone 30 seconds to find build a more body confident world!
all the Inspirational Action cards If every Guide and Scout who
hidden around the space. When takes part in Free Being Me does
they find one, they stick it to the one thing, that adds up to over six
flipchart action list. Point out the real million actions!
examples from Guides and Scouts You use the Inspirational action cards
around the world! and Key Messages to help prompt
5. Everyone then completes their Take ideas if needed.
Action Project Plan in their Journals,
deciding upon:
a) One action they will take for
themselves,
Listen for
eg start wearing certain clothes or “I want people to know that they
doing an activity without worrying deserve to feel free to be themselves!”
about my looks, stop following social
media accounts (or watching videos) “People are harmed when they compare
that encourage beauty standards, themselves to beauty standards, share
practise the Mirror challenge, practise edited photos, don’t see themselves in
adverts or on TV, and/or spend lots of
receiving compliments, tell myself “All
money on cosmetics. I want to make the
bodies are good bodies” instead of
world a happier place!”
comparing myself to others.
“I want to tell people that beauty
standards exist, and share tips for how
to challenge them.”
Session 5

Reflection
15mins

1. Congratulate everyone on
committing to take action and
joining the global movement
to make the world more body
confident!
2. Decide on a deadline (one or two
weeks) for everyone to complete
their action, and write it in their
Journals. On this date, they will
come together to celebrate their
achievements and share how
their projects went. Encourage
everyone to tag #freebeingme if
they post on social media.
3. Introduce the Action on Body
Confidence programme, for
anyone who has completed
FBM and wants to take even
bigger action to challenge beauty
standards in their community or
the wider world!

Home Challenge:
Take Action
Carry out your Take Action project and
get ready to share how it went.

58
 Resources

Inspirational Action cards

Organise an inclusive fashion show!

Jessica Shire, a UK Girl Guide, set up a Positively Me! fashion

show where the models, many with visible and invisible
differences, all wear something they wouldn’t normally feel
confident wearing.

Fashion Show

​​Give people compliments

(not about their looks)

“I love how your face lights up when you talk about or do …”.

“When you told me about … it really opened my eyes to other

perspectives.”

“I’m so proud of how resilient you are.” Compliments

Tell your family about body talk

“Say no to body talk – who says we should all look a certain way?!”

Body Talk

59
 Post on social media

The Real People Project (UK) was created by Girl Guides

Victoria and Sophie to tackle lack of diversity in all forms of
media.

Social media

Share surveys or host webinars

Brown & Beautiful, created by two Girl Guides: Shauna

from Grenada and Lucia from Zimbabwe, aims to tackle
skin-bleaching across the globe.

Surveys and webinars

Speak on the radio

In Pakistan, Girl Guides convinced a radio presenter to

broadcast their own show encouraging people to focus on
their skills and abilities rather than their looks.

Speak on the radio

Fashion Show

Organise a film night or photoshoot

In South Africa, Girl Guides invited the community to a swimsuit

photoshoot to celebrate body diversity: “[Don’t] judge people
based on their appearance. Everyone is unique and has their
own body type.”
ot
Photosho

60
 Write and share a petition

The government in Norway has amended their Marketing Act

so that everyone must now label their photos if they have used
filters or other editing software.

Petition

Wear T-shirts or put up posters

to raise awareness
Newcastle Brownies designed these:

T-shirts

You are
Display body confident messages on mirrors
capable

Write and publish poems

Message a friend to raise
awareness My body is on time
She works hard
Send some of your friends a direct s up even when spiritually I am empty
She show
message or text about beauty She is strong
standards: Heart beating, baby pushing strong
“Remember, you are worthy and you Wound her, she heals
are loved, no matter how you look. Try Nourish her, she grows
not to compare yourself to impossible No scar or roll has diminished her beauty
images you see around you - you I love and trust her
deserve to feel free to be you!” She has not failed me yet
By Vean Ima

61
Take Action Project Plan example
I pledge to take action for myself by:
Practising the mirror challenge every day for two weeks.

The people I want to help are: My message to them about beauty

1) Justine standards is:
2) Nathaniel
There is no such thing as ‘good’
or ‘bad’ bodies – all bodies
are good bodies! We need to
The action I will take is: stop comparing ourselves
to impossible standards and
Organise a party embrace that difference is
where everyone wears beautiful!
something they wouldn’t
usually wear. At the end,
everyone writes body Date and location of my action:
confident messages for
each other to take home In one month’s time, at the
as a surprise. weekend.

Things or people I will need:

• Invites, decorations and music

• Large room or hall (ask parents and my cousin)
• Paper, bags and pens for the messages

[After taking action]

• Three things that went well …

• Next time I would …
• I will share my Take Action Project by ...

62
63
Celebrate,
Evaluate
& Share
Celebrate
After everyone has taken action, organise a group celebration and badge ceremony.

To Prepare... 4. Choose a body confidence theme, for

example:

1. Order your FBM badges on the a) Fashion Show! Everyone wears

WAGGGS website (or ask your MO). something they wouldn’t normally
wear because of beauty standards.
2. Invite an audience to join you if possible
– family, friends, community members, b) Gallery! Ask everyone to write body
other Guides and Scouts groups. confident messages and display
them over the walls.
3. Ask your group to prepare a
celebratory song or dance. c) Music! Compile a soundtrack
together of positive songs that make
people feel good and want to dance.
5. Set up the space with chairs for the
audience (the rest of the group can be
the audience if there aren’t family and
friends.)

Evaluate Your group can either:

1. [If they have a smartphone] Scan
the QR code with their browser or
At the celebration event, find out app and follow the steps. Leaders
how much your group has grown in write down each participant’s two
body confidence now that they have total scores, their age and initials
finished Free Being Me.
2. Complete a printed version of the
Each participant should complete the survey by hand. See page 12 to
Finish Survey
FBM Survey individually, as in Session interpret the results. As before,
1 (see page 64-65). taking part is completely optional.

64
 Share
Your group is powerful. They
should shout loud and proud about
what they have achieved:

• Tell WAGGGS (and the world!) how

many of your group earned their
FBM badge. Visit our interactive
map to see your final number of
participants: www.wagggs.org/en/
what-we-do/initiatives-map/

• Support the group to share

their actions online using
#freebeingme and #wagggs.

• Encourage them to tell friends,

family and other Guide and Scout
groups about FBM.

65
FBM Badge Finish Survey

Join groups around the world who Taking part is optional. If you choose
to complete the survey, this means you
are sharing their understanding,
agree for your leader to use and share this
feelings and actions on the topic of information(they won’t share your name) and
body confidence! help WAGGGS understand if FBM is working.
Complete the FBM Badge Survey on your
own and then give it to your leader. Age: Initals:

Rate how much you generally 1 2 3 4 5

Strongly Disagree Neither agree Agree Strongly
agree or disagree with the
nor disagree
following statements disagree agree
(please select only one
response per statement):

1. I often speak up at home, in

class and at Guiding without
worrying about how I look.

2. I often try new things and

activities without worrying
about how I look.

3. I wish I could change my

looks to be like people I see
on the TV, in advertising or on
social media.

4. I like what I see when I look in

the mirror.

5. I feel confident standing up

to negative comments about
people’s looks.

6. I know how to help other

people improve their body
confidence.

66
 7. When you don’t feel good about your looks, what do you do to help yourself feel better?

8. Draw or colour in this scale to show how much you agree with this statement:

In general, I’m happy about the way I look.

0 10

Not happy at all Moderately happy Very happy

9. What did you enjoy the most in Free Being Me?

10. What did you enjoy the least in Free Being Me?

11. What type of action(s) did you or your group take in Session 5? Select all that apply.

֏ Displayed posters/made T-shirts

֏ Talked to a friend or family member
֏ Spoke or performed at school
֏ Organised an event in the community
֏ Created social media campaign (videos etc)
֏ Wrote and delivered a petition
֏ Contacted decision-makers (brands, politicians etc)
֏ Other:

12. Overall, what do you think of Free Being Me? Please circle your answer:

Very bad Slightly bad Don’t know Good Very good

67
Other WAGGGS
programmes

Action on Body Confidence

Action on Body Confidence (ABC) is a Groups begin by identifying the biggest body
separate activity pack that supports confidence issues in their community and
young people to plan and run their own then plan a project that demands change
advocacy projects to improve people’s body from decision makers.
confidence. We recommend ABC to groups
who have completed Free Being Me and are To find out more, visit:
ready to take action to inspire even more www.wagggs.org/en/what-we-do/action-
people! body-confidence

Your group may also wish to take part in other WAGGGS programmes to explore further
some of the topics raised in Free Being Me:

Girl Powered Nutrition – Surf Smart – If you use Voices Against Violence
Having learned about all technology and the – By improving body
the things your body can internet, find out more confidence, we’re working
do, find out about how about media literacy and towards a more gender-
to keep yourself happy staying safe online. equal world. Learn
and healthy with good about how violence also
nutrition. https://www.wagggs.org/en/ disproportionately harms
what-we-do/surf-smart-20/
girls and young women.
https://www.wagggs.org/en/
what-we-do/girl-powered- https://www.wagggs.org/
nutrition/gpn-online-training/ en/what-we-do/stop-the-
violence/get-involved/learn/
deliver-voices-against-violence-
curriculum/

68
Acknowledgements

Co-Creation Team:
The Free Being Me activity packs were co-created with valuable contributions
from around the world:

• Abigail Christmas • Priyanthi Rajapaska

The Girl Guides Association of Dominica Girl Guides Sri Lanka
• Blessmore Chikwakwa • Riju Manandhar
Girl Guides Association of Zimbabwe Nepal Scouts
• Bolouere Abigail Ikpeteboa • Sebastian Guerra Silva
The Nigerian Girl Guides Association Asociación de Guías y Scouts de Chile
• Camila Takalli • Shauna Smith
Boy Scouts & Girl Guides of Libya The Girl Guides Association of Grenada
• Carmen Gonzalez • Shubham Singh
Guías de México Bharat Scouts and Guides
• Chun-Wei Fang • Tionge Msukwa
Girl Scouts Taiwan The Malawi Girl Guides Association
• Diana Puente • Warida Mussa Mtanda
Guías de México Tanzania Girl Guides Association
• Elizabeth Gerard
Girl Guides Association of Malaysia Coordinated and curated by Anna Bambrick
• Erick Bonilla and Alice Kestell.
Asociación de Guías y Scouts
de Costa Rica With special thanks to: The Body Project
– an evidence-based cognitive dissonance
• Evelyn Njeri Kinyanjui
body image programme originally developed
Kenya Girl Guides Association
by Dr Stice, Dr Becker and colleagues.
• Hayley Wards
GirlGuiding New Zealand Designed by Soofiya.com and @Irazemika
• Hueyyi Lee
Girl Guides Association of Malaysia ©WAGGGS 2022 World Association of Girl
• Jess Shire Guides and Girl Scouts
Girlguiding UK World Bureau, 12c Lyndhurst Road London,
NW3 5PQ United Kingdom
• Jimena Paternoster Telephone: +44 (0)20 7794 1181
Asociación Guías Argentinas Email: [email protected]
• Liantsoa Ratsimbazafy Website: www.wagggs.org
Skotisma Zazavavy eto Madagasikara
• Lise Bos
Scouting Nederland
• Madhu Shree K S
Bharat Scouts and Guides
• Miriam Nyoni
The Malawi Girl Guides Association
• Mitchell Akinyi
Kenya Girl Guides Association

69
 Free Being Me (FBM) is an
educational programme that
promotes a world free from
appearance-related anxiety.
FBM first began in 2013, developed in partnership
with the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl
Scouts (WAGGGS), the Dove Self-Esteem Project
(DSEP) and the Centre of Appearance Research (CAR).
Since then, an incredible six million Girl Guides and
Girl Scouts in 80 countries have improved their body
confidence and helped other people do the same.
This updated, more representative and interactive
version of Free Being Me will support four million
other Guides and Scouts to lead a movement towards
a world free from body insecurities. We can’t wait to
see what your group will do!

www.wagggs.org

@wagggsworld

World Association of Girl Guides & Girl Scouts,

World Bureau, Olave Centre, 12c Lyndhurst Road, London, NW3
5PQ, United Kingdom